Why would anyone go out of his/her way to PAY MORE to get LESS? What is the possible logical sane reason for doing THAT?

I have done that in desperation when nothing else was open. Maybe once or twice. Thank you for your reply Sharon! :)

No Walt. "less" implies quality not amount. Why would you pay more for less quality and cleanliness? Is solar power better than coal power? I don't know all the intricacies but I gather coal is antiquated and outdated and there is not an infinite supply of it so eventually it will not exist. It can't propagate itself. Smokestacks of black smoke is not a good thing visually or lung-wise. Having barechested guys pitch shovels full of coal into ragingly hot furnaces? Surely there are better ways of getting better results. The motormouth made another dumb promise he could not keep. When will he stop the dumb? When he passes on and not before. Thank you for your reply.

"Less" doesn't specifically imply either quality or quantity.  It could refer to either or both.
     Pronoun: a smaller amount of; not as much.
     Adjective: of lower rank or importance.
     Adverb: to a smaller extent; not so much.

Since the question left it vague whether referring to quantity or quality, my answer clarified how I was interpreting it.

 

As to whether or not solar is better than coal ... they both require massive amounts of mining.
Modern technology can provide filters to cancel pollution from smoke stacks, and provide non-polluting transportation.
Solar is not 24/7 in most regions ... so requires batteries, which require more mining - not to mention disposal / recycling.

So there are pros and cons of both.

What difference does it make if it is less quantity or less quality? The point is exactly the same either way. You PAY MORE and receive LESS. What sane person would willingly knowingly do that? Not me. Thank you for your reply. I have no idea if we are nitpicking here m'dear. Do you?

I think we are nitpicking.

I don't know of many situations where someone would pay more for something that is BOTH lesser quality AND quantity.
(other than convenience, like THDWB said)

On the other hand, people often pay more when they get less of ONE of those.
A good example is buying shoes.  Once upon a time, Nike shoes were high quality and you were paying for that more than the name.
Now, you just pay for the name and the quality isn't any better than competitor shoes that cost less.

I think we all have a different view of what is "too much to pay" for something Walt. I'm not sure what it's based on but here's a f'rinstance. I'm a Foodie you know and I'd rather shop in a market than anywhere. Clothes and shoes are not that important to me at this stage of my life. Long ago when I worked and was younger I had some interest in it but now none. So what I'm willing to pay for clothes/shoes is much less comparatively speaking than what I am willing to pay for filet mignon or fresh wild-caught salmon. Now women my age who are very fashion-conscious and don't like to to cook would opt for the opposite. Thank you for your reply. Once upon time I was aware of the oomph of wearing a designer brand. Now not at all. :)